Council narrowly approves ordinance to hire new streetcar manager

Some Council members question need, expense

City leaders hope to hire a new manager to oversee the Cincinnati streetcar project, but several City Council members had issues with the idea.

The city asked the Budget and Finance Committee on Monday morning to approve a new position with a salary range of $140,000 to $180,000.

Councilman Chris Smitherman asked why the city would spend that kind of money only days after saying it would soon need to lay off hundreds of police officers and firefighters to cope with a $35 million deficit.

"This is absolutely outrageous," Smitherman said.

City Manager Milton Dohoney said the money to pay the manager would come out of project funds, not the city's general fund. Councilman Charlie Winburn asked Dohoney to sign a statement to that effect, and Dohoney said he was willing, but would have to check with others to see if he had the authority to do so.

Other council members noted that project fund were still largely taxpayer funds.

Dohoney said he wanted to hire John Deatrick, who oversaw work on the Banks and Fort Washington Way. Winburn said he had no objection to Deatrick, but questioned the process of determining he was the person to hire.

Dohoney conceded that he interviewed no women or minorities for position, but said that Deatrick's experience with local projects and his work in completing those projects made him the best choice.

But other council members said they supported Dohoney's move, and the proposal passed by a 5-4 vote, with Smitherman, Winburn, P.G. Sittenfeld and Chris Seelbach voting against.

The move also throws out the city's own rule against double-dipping, a practice where someone retires and is rehired while being allowed to collect pension.

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